Form, Macht, Differenz - GWDG

254 I Wayan Ardika
that Adhipatih (King) Sri Kesari Warmmadewa erected a stone or tuff pillar at Blanjong
to commemorate his victory against his enemies at Gurun and Suwal in Saka 835
or 913 AD. We could also identify the name of places called Singhadwala (probably the
palace of King Kesari) and Walidwipa (probably the island of Bali).
Many scholars have put forth differing arguments concerning the place of Gurun
and Suwal. Stutterheim (1934:130) argued that Gurun might be Nusa Penida, a small
island east of Bali. Goris however believed that Gurun was Lombok, and interpreted
Suwal as Ketewel beach south of Sukawati in the Gianyar regency. Wherever Gurun
and Suwal might have been located historically, Blanjong-Sanur seems to have been an
important site in relation to the Kesari expansion.
It should be noted that the inscriptions of Blanjong, Malat Gede and Panempahan
all commemorate the victories of King Kesari Warmmadewa against his enemies. Unlike
the Blanjong inscription, neither the Malat Gede nor the Panempahan inscription indicates
who Kesari’s enemies were. However, the most important observation is that King
Kesari Warmmadewa claimed to have defeated his enemies both inland and at coastal
areas and possibly outside of Bali as well. He commemorated his victory by establishing
these three stone pillars at Blanjong, Malat Gede and Panempahan between the 29 th of
January and the beginning of February, 914 AD. These events might have also reinforced
his legitimacy as the founder of the Warmmadewa dynasty in Bali, for his successors
also bore the title Warmmadewa after their name, as for instance Tabanendra Warmmadewa
(955–967 AD), Jayasingha Warmmadewa (960 AD), Sri Janasadhu Warmmadewa
(975 AD), and Udayana Warmmadewa (993–1011 AD) (Goris 1954:74–94;
Ardika 1987:53). It should be noted, however, that Sang Ratu Ugrasena, who reigned
from 915 to 936 AD, never used the title Warmmadewa, unlike his predecessor and
his successor did. The question of whether Ugrasena was a true member of the Warmmadewa
dynasty remains to be answered.
Early State Formation
Based on the inscriptions at Blanjong, Malat Gede and Panempahan, it seems that conflict
or warfare occurred in Bali between King Kesari Warmmadewa and his enemies.
Conflicts also occurred during the emergence of early states in other regions such as
the empire of Sriwijaya (South Sumatra), Taruma Negara (West Java), and Mataram
(Central Java).
The Kingdom of Sriwijaya
For instance, the Kedukan Bukit inscription which can be found near Palembang
(Sumatra) and dates back to April 23rd, 682 AD, indicates that Dapunta Hyang carried
out an expedition to Matayap, departing from Minanga Tamwan. This expedition
consisted of two hundred sailors and two thousand troops. Dapunta Hyang arrived